Most anticipated returning TV shows of 2015: ‘Americans,’ ‘Mad Men’ and more

Get ready to spend a lot of 2015 saying goodbye to long-running TV shows. In a TV season that's already had series finales for “Boardwalk Empire,” “Sons of Anarchy” and “The Newsroom,” the next few months will bring to an end some all-time classics (“Mad Men,” “Parks and Recreation”), some shows that could achieve greatness at times (“Justified,” “Parenthood,” “Cougar Town,” “Nurse Jackie”), former pop culture sensations (“Glee,” “Two and a Half Men”), and even some shows that flew under the radar but had an awful lot of fun doing so (“Strike Back”), among others.

In looking at the shows whose returns we're most anticipating in 2015, Fienberg and I definitely picked out some of those concluding comedies and dramas, but we also took note of a lot of great shows with plenty of life left in them, including some of the very best series of 2014.

As always, we're mainly focused on the first few months of the year, since we have no idea when a lot of shows will be airing past March (even if we can assume, say, that “Mad Men” and “Game of Thrones” will once again start sometime around April). We also didn't count a lot of broadcast network series that are just on brief winter hiatuses (including “Parenthood”), preferring to focus on shows that have been off the air for a while (or will have been by the time their next season debuts).

So take a look and then tell us which veteran shows you're most looking forward to seeing come back in the new year.

Definitely looking forward to Justified’s last season, it’s been a great show but I think it’s good to go out on your own terms. Same with Mad Men, sorry to see it go.

For the pay-cable category, can’t wait for Game of Thrones and Outlander. The last season of Strike Back should be a lot of fun, like the previous seasons. Very sorry to see it go. Banshee is good too, just not as escapist.

By: Derrick

12.31.2014 @ 6:49 PM

Really looking forward to Justified, The Americans, Mad Men and True Detective. Can’t go wrong with any of these great shows.

Looking forward to hearing you boys talking about them as well.

By: Derrick

12.31.2014 @ 6:50 PM

And also Hannibal! I’m part of the .01%. Fantastic show. And you’re correct as always, the best looking show on t.v. and it isn’t close.

By: smreyno

12.31.2014 @ 7:39 PM

Oh, “Hannibal.” It feels like a lot more than .01% on the Internet at times, so I sometimes forget how few people actually watch it. I get why it’ll never be embraced by the masses (it’s a show I have trouble recommending to people, because I think there are legitimate reasons to find it deeply off-putting) but I love it, in all it’s horrifying beauty.

By: Kimmy

12.31.2014 @ 6:56 PM

Justified, Rectify, Game of Thrones, Scandal, and your fav…House of Cards.. just to annoy you Alan… lol. The Following just to see how bad it gets this season. And American Crime for the return of W. Earl Brown in a weekly show.

By: ponce

12.31.2014 @ 7:10 PM

Dear Helix, please don’t suck this time.

By: bearcouch

12.31.2014 @ 7:41 PM

That’s a lot of good TV. I think I watch too much.

By: kteemac

12.31.2014 @ 8:17 PM

Forgot to include: Strike Back, at least in the list of “also-returning-TBD” shows.

By: David Joseph

12.31.2014 @ 8:40 PM

Survivor: Worlds Apart (I’m a fanatic that rewatches seasons multiple times). Looking forward to seeing how Mad Men ends, Game of Thrones and Outlander of course. Just finished The Americans season 2 yesterday. Shameless is like crack to me. Heavily looking forward to Review season 2.

By: Jared K

12.31.2014 @ 11:43 PM

From the “Shows that have premiere dates” category, I’m most looking forward to The Americans, Parks and Recreation, Justified, Archer, Last Week Tonight, Shameless, and Downton Abbey (among others).

From the “Shows that don’t have premiere dates yet, but we know roughly when they’re coming back” category, I’m most excited for Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Hannibal, Veep, Silicon Valley, and Fargo.

From the “Who the hell knows when it’s coming back?” category … we have True Detective. I had originally hoped that Season 2 might be ready to take the slot vacated by True Blood and pair with The Leftovers in the summer. But now I think that there’s a fair chance that HBO might wait and allow it to claim Boardwalk Empire’s old timeslot in the fall. We’ll see.

“Hello darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence”

Looking forward to game of thrones, obviously, great discovery for me, the knick, brilliant, homeland..to long a wait, but worth it., The bridge,. very good. For pure evasion Arrow ,Flash, Gotham….

By: bhammer100

01.01.2015 @ 4:13 PM

The Bridge got canceled.

By: hologram

01.01.2015 @ 11:26 AM

More of my favourite shows The superb Americans ,the always engaging walking dead, The super stylish Hannibal and one of the underrated but good Bates Motel

By: HD Bacteria

01.01.2015 @ 1:12 PM

All I want is an episode in which Future Ben Wyatt and Future Patton Oswald (if he ain’t too busy kicking ass in Justified) discuss Episode 7, 8 and 9 of Star Wars. I’ll die happy.

By: RobBeck

01.01.2015 @ 10:29 PM

Community anyone?

By: kaitlyn white

01.02.2015 @ 6:38 PM

I’m lookinhg forward to the return of Once Upon a Time on March 1 on ABC

By: Svadhyaya

01.03.2015 @ 12:52 AM

Does Alan Sepinwall work for Cinemax now? Why is he promoting “Banshee”? Are we still suppose to take his reviews seriously? So many of his relationships seem inappropriate for someone who is a “critic”.

By: liza

01.07.2015 @ 3:21 AM

Not even close for me – the return of Outlander after _6 months_ is what I’m waiting for. April 4th ends Droughtlander and I can’t wait!

By: liza

01.07.2015 @ 3:27 AM

However I also look forward to Game of Thrones, Justified, Vikings and House of Cards. Not with the wild anticipation of Outlander, but I’ll be glad when they’re back/.

By: Vicky Foxhall

01.14.2015 @ 4:40 AM

Fargo
Sherlock
Mad Men
The Americans
Orphan Black

By: mp

01.20.2015 @ 3:48 PM

Orphan Black. If you haven’t watched it, you should (but start at the beginning).